Transcript

In 1856 I crossed the plains in the handcarts[.] We got along very well until we got within two or three hundred miles of Utah when our provisions began to get very low or about ¼ pound of flour per day, and I being a young man about 24 years of age I soon became very weak and sick so that I had to leave my handcart and travel behind the company. I was so sick I thought I should die, and I asked the Lord that I might die. All at once a voice spoke to me as plain as I ever heard a voice in my life and said, “Sam are you here?[”] I turned around and answered ‘yes’ but could see no one. which surprised me very much. I went on and caught up with the company took hold of my handcart and my sickness left me, this set me to thinking. what do you expect to see when you get to Salt Lake City. I made up my mind if the Father and the Son did appear to the Prophet Joseph Smith and reveal the gospel unto him, and that Brigham Young was his Lawful successor I wanted to see the Halo of light around his head like there was around the head of the Saviour on nearly all of the pictures we see.

All this passed from my mind until we reached Salt Lake City on the 5th of October. The next morning I went to meeting in the Old Bowery, and took my seat about the middle of the building, the people were coming in pretty lively[.] I was watching to see if there was any one I knew, but saw no one. Looking toward the stand there I saw President Young with the rays of light around his head as I had asked for on the plaines [plains], and the same voice <as> spoke to me on the plaines said, “Now Sam if ever you apostatize here is your condemnation.” I looked around me to see if the people heard it, but, I thought they did not.

Copied from Samuel Taylor Orton’s own handwriting for Esther Ellis Orton by Julia Orton Maxfield. March 21st 1940.